Now Commenting On:

Rain cancels Monday's Yanks-Pirates tilt

Monday starter Hiroki Kuroda will remain on schedule by pitching his allotted five innings and 75 pitches indoors.

By Adam Berry
/
MLB.com |

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Monday's game between the Yankees and Pirates at McKechnie Field was cancelled due to inclement weather.

The Pirates rolled out the tarp about 30 minutes before the scheduled 1:05 p.m. ET first pitch and officially called the game approximately 40 minutes after it was slated to begin due to a storm that was expected to cover Florida's Gulf Coast with rain throughout the afternoon.

The cancellation won't affect either club's pitching plans, however. The Yankees planned to have right-hander Hiroki Kuroda throw his allotted five innings and 75 pitches indoors after the team returned to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., later in the afternoon.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said that all of the pitchers who were scheduled to throw on Monday, including starter Stolmy Pimentel, would do so in an indoor simulated game. Going forward, the rest of the pitching staff will stay on schedule.

This is the second time the Pirates have been rained out this spring, following the March 6 cancellation of their game against the Blue Jays.

Although it's inconvenient for a team that has a lot of pitchers who need to get their work, Hurdle said Pittsburgh will roll with the weather and make the best of it.

"We're going to absorb two [rainouts]," Hurdle said. "It is what it is, man. The guys that were scheduled to pitch today will throw the sim game, and we'll move forward."

Up next: The Yankees and Red Sox will square off for the first time this spring at 1:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Steinbrenner Field. Right-hander Michael Pineda, who's been impressive so far in his bid for the fifth spot in the rotation, will get the start, with left-hander Felix Doubront slated to start for Boston. Don't expect to see former Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury in the Yankees' lineup, however, as he's been dealing with a tight right calf.

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.